Cape Cleavland Trolling session

[happygilmour]

Hi AA anglers,

Popped out with my mate and fellow AAer "Dipster" for a day of trolling some lures around the rocky headlands and various rocky islands just off the coast. The early morning trip was lumpy but with light winds forcasted we pounded our way out from townsville.

We arrived at bray island, a large rocky island that sits aout a 1km from the rocky headland forshore of cape cleavland/bowling green. We both deployed halco crazy deep 8m+ lures and started trolling in about 9-10m of water. With in 5 min we had our first hit and ratchet scream with a small trevally coming aboard. The day was looking up so out went the lure again.

We trolled over a large rock ridge that came up from 10m to about 6m before dropping back to 10m. The next pass saw another trev landed in similar fashion. We started another pass and as my lure bumbed over the ridge it came to a sudden stop and drag begun peeling off before stopping in a stale mate. I call it a cod who is holed up and holding in the current. After some steady rod work and pressure the fish begin to raise from the depths. I see colour i say and its silver. Not sure what is is yet. Suddenly the fish comes up from under the boat and jumps clear of the water. BARRA! What the????

After a nice fight the barra was landed. It was the best conditioned salt water barra i have caught, very thick in the shoulders, very dam like in dimensions. The barra went 87cm. Being closed season after a quich pic she was released to breed over the next few months. Still shaking our heads we contonued to troll while discusiing the capture of the barra. Many km from the closest creek system, about a km from the rocky headland out in the middle of the ocean?

Next lap around the island I again come tight on a unknown fish. After a stubborn fight I call a trevally until colour is seen and a nice golden tinge comes up. Yahoo, christmas seafood lunch is served in a very solid 68cm Fingermark/golden snapper also caught on lure.

Over the next few hours both Dipster and i land another trevally and some school macks as well as a nice grey mack. All up we caught over 10 fish on lures, most on halco crazy deep 8m+ and also killalure riverrat+20ft. metalic gold seemed to do most damage today.

All up would of been one of the best days i have had since moving here trolling lures in the ocean side of town. Thanks to dipster who took me out in his boat. Shame we couldnt get more fingermark.

Enjoy the pics

Cheers

Aaron

[osprey540]

Looks like you had a top day Aaron well done i take it that Barra must have lost its way
cheers Adrian

[ActiveAngler]

Aaron.

What a terrific session buddy.

That barra capture is certainly one that had me suprised - but then again - fishing is full of suprises. Nice saltwater barra - cant beat it.

When trolling where you just doing a straigh troll or flicking the rod tip giving it that lure action?

By the way, solid Fingermark.

What a sesh!!!

Cheers - Ben

[Roo]

that barra must've escaped from a dam!! and when he saw that lure go by, couldn't resist a quick hello to an old friend....good to see one of my fav impoundment lures doing the job in the salt too. and the fingermark.....MMMM Yum for lunch.
Funny thing about estuarine species is you never know where you'll find them. Here's a quote from Native fish Australia website(www.nativefish.asn.au)

In the 1990s, fisheries research vessels captured a number of Australian bass at sea, several kilometers off shore

Not quite where you'd expect to find them huh!

Cheers Roo.

[virty]

Happy top stuff mate - Good report also and great pixs. I use the fresh water Halco lures they are a good back up lure.

[dipster]

Hey Hap,
had some of the mack fillets on the BBQ last night and they were great with a nice garden salad, just a shame I couldnt have a beer with dinner, oh well doctors orders!! Have got heaps of crab bait now but my freezer is chockers with nowhere for anything else, do you have room in yours? otherwise I'll take them to work, will hopefully be able to put them to use pretty soon.

My heads still spinning from the great days fishing and my legs are still shot from the pounding it took to get out there! Lucky you got the pics of your "offshore" barra otherwise people wouldnt believe it, I still cant believe it myself!

Was a great day and my pleasure to have you onboard, yet again I learn some more tips from the master. Look forward to a few more sessions over the Chrissy break.

Dipster

[happygilmour]

Cheers for the replies.

Ben, nothing fancy with the troll, no twitchen rods anyway.

Thanks Roo for info, intresting thing the fish movements of different species.

Dipster, good to hear the macks were good. Didnt you get to eat enough of it it in PNG? I have attched pics from the phone camera of some of dipster fish as well as another trev caught by myself. We also do a quick hour of bait fishing with dipster getting some small mouth nanyguy and tusk fish comong aboard but were released due to the coral fin fish closure.

Time to go crabbing for some muddies for christmas.

Cheers

Aaron

[virty]

Great stuff - Happy and dipster you shore got on to the right spot there. Did you use the same lure all day ?

[happygilmour]

Hi Virty,

I was using the King brown colour(metallic gold/orange top/dots down side) most of the day until donated to the mighty lure god for his help over the morning.

Dispter used a couple different lures, mainly metallic gold riverrat+20ft, barrabait+20ft in eltonjohn colour. If we had more +8m halco we would of done better but we both lost them during the day.

I know what I want for christmas in my stocking

Cheers

Aaron

[Daniel W]

Fantastic effort That Barra would've certainly been a pleasant suprise.
Danny